Episode 6 – Showdown in the Wilderness
Who is Death Gun? Episode 6 wisely flashes back to Aincrad as we see Kirito and a team of others assault the Laughing Coffin guild. This is an addition to the series and not something we’d seen up to this point. Obviously this is huge for me. Any return to Aincrad is desirable.
What we see in the flashback is just the kind of carnage that Laughing Coffin truly inflicted on the game. And that Kirito himself was responsible for the deaths of two LC members.
Dat Hair
Sinon and Kirito are back on good terms though, which was expected. Kirito enters into his following battle with reckless abandon and comes out as the victor. Sinon does the same. And suddenly they’re pitted against one another.
Kirito won’t confront her, and Sinon is obviously angry that he won’t compete. But then they agree to go through with it in a duel, sniper versus sword. Suitably dramatic, though I’m not sure how I feel about Kirito’s attitude toward Sinon and the game because of his Laughing Coffin encounter.
When the bullet hits the ground, Sinon fires at Kirito and he cuts the bullet in half. So much for a one hundred percent hit, Sinon. Then they have a moment. And things get weirdly romantic. Where’s Asuna, Kirito?! I hope this doesn’t become a thing, really. I like Sinon and Kirito together; I really do, but just no. Kirito is with Asuna and this romantic storyline truly doesn’t need to happen. Ordinarily I would support a relationship developing this way in an anime series, but it defeats the relationship that I’ve personally come to love in this series.
After the duel, Sinon resigns since Kirito doesn’t feel the need to kill her outright. Probably a good call. Death Gun sees Kirito’s name as the victor and his eyes light up.
7/10
+ Flashback to Aincrad
+ Actual duel between Kirito and Sinon
- Romantic tension between Kirito and Sinon